Reading
SAA Notes
Living sacrifices, different, gifts one body, sincere love, overcome evil with good. There are many wonderful thoughts, instructions, warnings, understandings – look for one that speaks to your present circumstances.
SJA Notes
* Dear God, thank You for today, and for Your word to us. Please teach us what it means to live for You.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
This passage is chock full of wisdom bites. Mostly short applications, a few words to each.
Let’s look at the last one in today’s passage.
How can we resist being overcome with evil?
How can we overcome evil with good, how does that work?
Paul is speaking to us, God’s people (saved), about behaviour. How we act. Toward God, and toward those around us.
And the simple answer to those questions is – If we are a living sacrifice to our God, evil will not overcome us. If we are going about His work, being transformed by His Spirit, that good will overcome evil.
The apostle John layers over this in his third letter, verse 11,
“Beloved, do not imitate evil by imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.”
The agency we have is to work to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God (this is what it means to worship God!).
The work of God in us though, this is what transforms us SO THAT we might be able to discern what is good and acceptable and perfect (God’s will).
Jesus is the key.
In Jesus, we see God’s goodness writ plain and powerful.
In Jesus, we are shown what it means to resist evil and do good.
In Jesus, we see what it means to offer up ourselves, and to discern God’s will.
Let us imitate Him!
* God Above,
Thank You for transforming us toward the likeness of Christ.
Please help us to discern Your will for us today.
May we be a people who are not overcome by evil, but instead overcome evil with (Your) good.
Amen.